If not delivered return to PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610
20 October 2016
Our reference: LEX 22591
Mr Ben Fairless
By email:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx Dear Mr Fairless
Your Freedom of Information request
I refer to your request dated 5 October 2016, and received by the Department of Human
Services (the
department) on the same date, for access under the
Freedom of Information
Act 1982 (the
FOI Act).
I cannot identify the documents you want and I am asking you to give me specific details
about the information you are seeking. If you decide not to provide this information, I will
have to refuse your FOI request as a 'practical refusal reason' exists. For a more detailed
explanation of what this means see
Attachment A.
How to send us a 'revised request'
Before I make a final decision on your request, you can submit a revised request.
Within the next 14 days (consultation period) you must do one of the following, in writing:
• withdraw the request
• make a revised request, or
• tell us that you do not want to revise your request.
If you do not do contact us during the consultation period, we will assume you do not want to
continue with your request. See
Attachment A for relevant sections of the FOI Act.
If you decide to make a revised request you should be specific about what documents you
actually want. This could help the department find the documents.
Note: You may want to access the department's online services at
www.humanservices.gov.au to immediately find some of the personal information and
documents included in your original request.
At
Attachment B is a form which you can use to revise your request in writing. We have
30 days to give you a decision about your request, however the time taken to consult with
you now is not included in this 30 day time period.
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Contact officer
I am the contact officer for your request. During the consultation period you are welcome to
ask for my help in revising your request and filling out the form. You can contact me:
• by phone on the number below - if you are calling long-distance you are welcome to
reverse the charges
• in writing to the address at the top of this letter
• via email t
o xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Note: When you contact us please quote the reference number
FOI LEX 22591.
Your response will be expected by 2 November 2016
. If no response is received, your matter
will be taken as withdrawn.
Further assistance
If you have any questions please email
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx.
Yours sincerely
Clara
FOI Legal Team
FOI and Litigation Branch | Legal Services Division
Department of Human Services
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Department of Human Services
Attachment A
What I took into account
You requested access under the
Freedom of Information Act 1982 (the FOI Act) to the
following documents:
'When an applicant submits a request for a payment, a message is displayed which
says (in part):
"The Department is required to use a private number for outbound calls. This may
show up on your phone as either blocked or private."
Can you please provide a copy of the document(s) which detail the reason the
Department is required to use a private number for outbound calls?'.
I am not able to reasonably identify what documents you are seeking, because you have not
provided sufficient information about what process you were engaged in when the relevant
message was displayed. It would assist the department to identify and retrieve relevant
documents if you were to provide a screenshot of the message that was displayed, or you
identified the type of application for payment you were making at the time.
Under sections 24AA(1)(b) and 24 of the Freedom of Information Act, I intend to refuse your
FOI request as a 'practical refusal reason' exists. Under the Act, the practical refusal reason
is that your request does not satisfy the requirements in paragraph 15(2)(b) (identification of
documents).
Relevant sections of the Freedom of Information Act 1982
Section 24AA(1)(b) of the FOI Act provides that a practical refusal reason exists in relation to
a request for a document if the request does not satisfy the requirement in section 15(2)(b) of
the FOI Act.
Section 15(2)(b) of the FOI Act provides that a request must provide such information as is
reasonably necessary to enable the agency to identify the documents that are being
requested.
Section 24AB(7) of the FOI Act provides that the request is taken to have been withdrawn
under at the end of the consultation period if:
• the applicant does not consult the contact person during the consultation period in
accordance with the notice, or
• the applicant does not do one of the things mentioned in subsection (6) before the
end of the consultation period.
Section 24AB(7) (subsection 6) says that the applicant must, before the end of the
consultation period, do one of the following, by written notice to the agency or Minister:
• withdraw the request,
• make a revised request, or
• indicate that the applicant does not wish to revise the request.
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Department of Human Services
If not delivered return to PO Box 7820 Canberra BC ACT 2610
Attachment B
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REVISED REQUEST FORM
(Section 24AB of the FOI Act)
NOTE: You do not have to fill out every part of this form. However, providing as
much detail as possible could help to reduce the amount of work involved for the
department to process your request.
Mr Ben Fairless
Name
LEX 22591
FOI LEX number
Can you please provide a copy of the document(s) which detail
Initial request
the reason the Department is required to use a private number for
details
outbound calls?
I, Ben Fairless would like to revise my current FOI request.
1. I would like to limit the time period of documents to:
□ A specific date:
______ / ______ / ________ ;
[day] [month] [year]
□ A specific year:
________ ; or
[year]
□ The date range from: ____ / _____ / _____ to ____ / _____ / _____
[day] [month] [year] [day] [month] [year]
2. My request relates to documents for (
tick boxes and insert numbers that apply to
you):
□
A
Centrelink
CRN:
□
B
Medicare
Card no:
□
C
Child Support
CSID:
□
D
CRS Australia
Ref no:
PAGE 4 OF 7
3. Select which of the following documents you are requesting:
Debt related documents
□ My debt calculation documents for debt reference: ____________________
□ A summary of my debt repayments for debt reference: _________________
□ Debt explanation documents for debt reference: ______________________
□ Other debt related documents (
provide a description of these
documents):___________________________________________________
Medical related documents
□ Copies of medical documents about me, including medical assessment
reports (for example, Job Capacity Assessment reports)
□ Medical documents related to my claim for ___________________________
Medicare
□ My personal Medical Benefit Scheme (MBS) History
□ My personal Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme (PBS) History
(
Note: Your PBS and MBS history are available through your online account.
They can also be requested without a formal FOI request. See Question 5
below.)
□ Other Medicare documents (
provide a description of these
documents):____________________________________________________
Child support related documents
□ My letters of assessment
□ My call recordings (
provide a description of the calls you want):____________
______________________________________________________________
□ Other (
provide a description of these documents):
______________________________________________________________
Other/general documents
□ Documents about my contact with the department
□ My Online Document Recording (
Note: These are electronic documents on a
customer's record where department staff record customer contact,
conversations and actions)
□ Other (
provide a comprehensive description of the documents you need)
PAGE 5 OF 7
Department of Human Services
4. Please provide any extra information to assist us to identify the documents.
Name of the document (if known): ______________________________________
Reference/file number (if known): ______________________________________
Extra information :
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________
If you need more space, attach a separate page with details.
We can provide some documents to you without an FOI request.
5. If your request can be completed without a formal FOI request, do you want us to
send the documents this way?
□ Yes
□ No
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Department of Human Services
HOW TO SEND THIS FORM
By post to:
Attention: FOI Legal Team
FOI Team
Department of Human Services
PO Box 7820
CANBERRA BC ACT 2610
Make sure you add the reference number FOI LEX 22591.
OR
Email to:
xxx.xxxxx.xxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
Make sure you add the reference number FOI LEX 22591. You do not have to
include your signature in your email.
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Department of Human Services
